Games

Best Nintendo Switch JRPGs That Are Not Part Of A Franchise

Published

2 days ago

January 3, 2025

Christoph Rediske

minessa in dragon star varnir and exploring the world map in i am setsuna

Summary

Table of Contents

Fans awaiting Nintendo Switch 2 can enjoy original Switch JRPGs like Code of Princess.
Dragon Marked For Death offers co-op action RPG missions with a Monster Hunter vibe and quick quests.
Triangle Strategy is a successful spiritual successor to Final Fantasy Tactics with HD-2D graphics.

The Switch was released in March 2017, meaning that Nintendo has had almost eight full years of dominance with their portable/console hybrid. This might be one of the longest gaps between a new Nintendo console, and fans are getting thirsty for any scrap of news regarding its announcement. Sadly, no, it didn’t even show up at Geoff Keighley’s 2024 The Game Awards.

7 Best PS2 JRPGs That Are Not Part Of A Franchise

Fans are eagerly waiting for the return of these PlayStation 2 JRPGs that, for now, have been on-offs without a franchise.

While fans wait for any scrap of news, they can look back fondly at the system and look at all the amazing games released for it. There are quite a few JRPGs that began on the Switch and haven’t had a sequel yet. Will that ever happen on the Switch 2? Hard to say, but this list runs down some of those original JRPGs for players interested in an engrossing JRPG experience without all of that baggage from previous (or even future) entries.

7

Code Of Princess

Bite-Sized Brawling Action

Your changes have been saved

Code of Princess

Code of Princess was first released on the 3DS in 2012, but eventually, there was a Switch port in 2018 that enhanced the game by adding co-op. The game is a 2D brawler with very short missions meant to be replayed to gather materials and lots of EXP.

There are tons of characters to unlock, and they all behave differently, from Solange and her giant sword to Allegro, who can play guitar. It’s kind of like a 2D version of Dynasty Warriors because those Musou games are stacked with playable characters. While Code of Princess has yet to receive a sequel, characters have been featured in other games like Blade Strangers and Crystal Crisis.

6

Dragon Marked For Death

2D Monster Hunter

Your changes have been saved

Dragon Marked For Death

Systems

Released: March 26, 2019
OpenCritic Rating: Fair

Dragon Marked For Death was developed by Inti Creates, a company best known for its third-party work on licensed projects like the Bloodstained and Mega Man Zero games. They have made some original titles too, and many of them have been one-offs. Dragon Marked For Death could be purchased initially in two versions, with each version giving players two sets of classes.

Victory screen in Guardian’s Crusade and Exploring a town in Thousand Arms

6 Best PS1 JRPGs That Are Not Part Of A Franchise

Sony’s first console had a lot of one-off JRPGs that went nowhere. Despite the lack of a larger franchise, they still made waves.

The game was designed around a quick mission structure like Code of Princess — and a bit like Monster Hunter. Take a quest, hunt for monsters and loot, level up, and head back to town, which becomes more accepting to the player as they progress. Plus, there is co-op to help with the repetitive nature of the action RPG missions.

5

Dragon Star Varnir

A Layered Witch Hunt

Developer: Compile Heart
Publisher: Idea Factory
Released on Switch: May 27, 2021 (Japan); August 3, 2021 (worldwide)
Platform: PS4, PC, Switch

Dragon Star Varnir is one of the many RPGs that Compile Heart and Idea Factory have produced together. Fans of theirs can expect their RPGs to have a heavy dose of anime, humor, and fan service like the Neptunia franchise. Dragon Star Varnir stars a male witch hunter, Zephy, who gains magic from witches and goes on a journey to understand their side of the story. The combat is turn-based, with characters jumping on various objects to glide. Combat arenas have layers in the field that characters can rise or lower into, creating a bit of strategy in the witchy confrontations.

4

I Am Setsuna

An Homage To Chrono Trigger

Your changes have been saved

I Am Setsuna

Released: February 18, 2016
Developer(s): Tokyo RPG Factory

Square Enix announced a game and a studio during a press event that was I am Setsuna, developed by Tokyo RPG Factory. Their goal with this division was to make smaller RPGs as an homage to the classic 90s games, with I am Setsuna clearly being inspired by Chrono Trigger.

I am Setsuna is a bleak turn-based JRPG featuring dual and triple attacks, customizable magic, and a haunting piano score. Tokyo RPG Factory made two unrelated games after this, including Lost Sphear and Oninaki. As of January 2024, they shut down after ten years of operation. Whether Square Enix will ever sequelize any of these titles internally is a mystery.

3

Lapis X Labyrinth

A Stacked Adventure

Your changes have been saved

Lapis x Labyrinth

Systems

Released: November 29, 2018
Developer(s): NISA
Publisher(s): Advertisement

NISA
OpenCritic Rating: Fair
Advertisement

NIS is the juggernaut of creating niche, one-off RPGs while they occasionally pump out sequels to their beloved Disgaea series. Lapis X Labyrinth is one of those forgotten gems that hit the West in 2019 on platforms like the Switch. It focuses on a town that used to be popular for adventurers, as they would venture into a labyrinth nearby. Now that business has dried up, players will be determined to help rejuvenate it as their created character.

They can choose their class and hire comrades to join the fight for various combat and platforming combos. The strangest thing is that party members stack on top of their heads, which is strange but adorable, as is the rest of the game in this joyful 2D action RPG dungeon crawler.

2

Little Town Hero

Shadow Of The Poke-Lossus

Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Game Freak
Released: October 16, 2019
Platform: Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox One

Game Freak is best known for the Pokemon series, but they have experimented on side projects — and on different platforms too. Little Town Hero is like Shadow of the Colossus if it were more anime-influenced and cute. Players control a young warrior determined to protect their town from monster invasions. Until battles commence, players can prepare for fights by aiding NPCs around town with fetch quests.

Casting a barrier in Lost Dimension and Fighting a battle in Bahamut Lagoon

7 Best Tactical JRPGs That Are Not Part Of A Franchise

There are plenty of amazing one-off games that fans of tactical JRPGs will enjoy. Here are the best of the genre outside franchises.

When these titans come to town, battles are turn-based, with both monsters and the player throwing out numbered bubbles to do damage. It’s kind of like a typical card-based RPG mixed with a game of rock, paper, scissors that is a little hard to discern at first, but it will become easier to understand over time.

1

Triangle Strategy

A Tactical Tour De Force

Your changes have been saved

Triangle Strategy
Advertisement

Systems

Released: March 4, 2022
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

Triangle Strategy is not so old of a game that fans have had time to start worrying about Square Enix not making a sequel. They just released a VR version that works on devices like the Meta Quest. Will there be a year-one release on the Switch 2, or will Square Enix abandon it faster than they abandoned their other tactical franchise, Final Fantasy Tactics?

Either way, Triangle Strategy should be celebrated as a great spiritual successor to FF Tactics with plenty of great ideas. The Job system, branching storylines, and superb HD-2D graphics helped make it shine bright when it launched on the Switch first in 2022.